The rose bushes I’d planted when Marcus was small
The rose bushes I’d planted when Marcus was small, the herb garden where I’d taught him to identify basil and oregano, the old oak tree where we’d hung his tire swing, all of it mine. Every brick, every board, every memory embedded in these walls, mine. I thought about that card downstairs. Those dismissive words that had cut so deep. Thank you for your service, as if I were the help. As if I were some distant relative who should be grateful for scraps of attention. But I wasn’t the help. I was the owner. I walked to my bedroom and pulled out the old filing cabinet I kept in the back of my closet. Inside, carefully preserved in plastic sleeves, were all the important documents of my life. marriage certificate, death certificate, insurance papers, and yes, the deed to the house. My name in black ink, clear as day.
Dela May Henderson, soul owner.
I sat on my bed holding that deed like a talisman. When had I become so afraid of my own family that I forgot who I was? When had I started accepting crumbs when the whole feast belonged to me? The phone rang, startling me from my thoughts. I glanced at the caller ID and saw Rya’s number. For a moment, I considered letting it go to voicemail, but old habits die hard. Hello, Dela. Rya’s voice was bright with artificial cheer, loud enough that I could hear tropical music and children’s laughter in the background, just calling to check in. How’s the cleaning going? I looked around my modest bedroom, unchanged for decades, while they’d transform the rest of my house to suit their tastes. It’s going fine. Good. I hope you’re being thorough. I left a more detailed list on the kitchen counter.
Did you find it? I hadn’t even looked. Yes, I found it. Wonderful.
Oh, and Dela Marcus wanted me to remind you to
Oh, and Dela Marcus wanted me to remind you to water his golf clubs. They’re in the garage and the leather needs conditioning in this weather. Water his golf clubs in December in a garage. The request was so absurd I almost laughed. Almost? Of course, I said instead. Great. We’re having such a wonderful time. The kids are at the beach with Sarah right now and Marcus and I are about to have couples massages. It’s exactly what we needed. A break from all the stress at home. The stress at home meaning me. I’m glad you’re enjoying yourselves. I managed. We are okay. I need to run. My massage appointment is in 5 minutes. Make sure you get those baseboards, Dela. They were really quite dusty. The line went dead.
